基于遗产价值评估的活化改造设计研究

摘 要 在不断变化的城市、乡村和边缘地带环境中，工业遗产地点的日益增长，特别是那些被视为“日常”的地点，为当代社会和建筑发展带来了挑战与机遇。这些废弃地点未能得到充分利用，因而在社区和环境中留下空缺。本文聚焦于清华镇老粮站的适应性再利用，强调了这些地点在维持历史、文化和社会经济叙事中的重要性。通过评估遗产价值并提出针对性的建筑干预措施，设计将现有的仓库转变为一个创意文化中心；倡导在文化保护与现代发展之间取得平衡，将“日常”的工业遗产动态融入现代环境中。

关键词：基于遗产的设计；价值评估；活化再利用；工业遗产

0 引 言

自后现代时期以来，遗产与当代生活的交汇创造了一种日益明显的新旧交织的生活、工作和居住体验。由于后工业主义和后现代资本主义的转变等多种因素，这种经常是刻意的与过去的物理痕迹在当下的相遇，已不仅在城市中心的设计中占据核心地位，也影响了农村和边缘地带景观的演变。随着技术、社会经济和环境加速变化，这些发展促进了怀旧情绪的增强和对可能在当前环境中丧失的经验、记忆和价值的保护兴趣[1]。因此，遗产，无论是有形的还是无形的，越来越被视为一个积极的过程，它涉及组织和策划反映当代价值观和意愿的对象、地点和实践，使遗产成为开启对话、影响决策以及解决社会文化、经济和环境问题的创造性工具[2]。

矛盾的是，激发对遗产更大兴趣的同一力量，也催生了其展示和消费的新市场，有效地将其转变为体验经济中的宝贵资产。在各个领域中，旅游业是最早将遗产作为此类商品的行业之一[3]。作为越来越广泛的推动地方经济的工具，中国的旅游业在过去几十年特别关注农村和边缘地区[4]。然而，这些新旅游目的地文化体验和参与活动的增加——通常涉及历史建筑、遗址、物品和实践——也导致了过度商业化和舞台化的问题，削弱了许多传统村庄和城镇的历史完整性。为了应对这些挑战，众多学者强调要重视当地居民的利益，并考虑地方对遗产和商业化的态度以及地方的文化和社会资本。

该项目是清华大学乡村振兴工作站工作的一部分。工作站在中国乡村地区开展了现场调研，探索乡村的产业、文化、生态和管理领域的相关事务。工作站的一个核心组成部分是在合适的村镇建立学生研究基地，专注于为教育、文化和社区功能重新塑造被忽视和未被充分利用的结构。这种方法强调了既有结构在丰富和深化建筑环境方面的重要性，并将重点从大规模置换转向重新思考空间，以恢复和延续其社会经济和文化意义。项目选取江西省婺源县清华镇的典型边缘地区作为场地，该镇位于周边城市中心和传统徽派村落之间，在远离风景旅游点的同时，根植于县域丰富的历史背景中，因此项目的挑战在于找到合适的方法，将该地区的落后和限制转化为能够可持续和包容性发展的机会和资产。

1 概念框架

随着时间的推移，“遗产”这一概念发生了显著的变化。随着国家和全球遗产保护名录中项目数量不断增长，许多学者认为，备受关注的对遗产的官方呈现方式和管理，将其所有权从公众转移到了“专家”手中，结果是强调遗产作为一种专业活动和过去的遗迹，与日常生活及地方化语境脱节[5]。作为回应，人们在更广泛的遗产语境中，越来越认识到“日常”对象和结构的重要性，这对主要关注具有纪念性和美学特质的传统遗产保护模式提出了挑战。“日常”一词指的是可能不具有杰出建筑学意义或历史意义，但仍在社区的社会结构和集体记忆中发挥关键作用的结构和场所，如果不进行保护干预会有消失的风险。这些结构和场所脱离了国家主导的保护力量，也能更有机地与周边的社会、政治和环境结合发展。

在当代建筑语境中存在遗产的概念，并由于社会价值观和城市发展范式的转变而进一步凸显，强调在文化保护与可持续发展之间取得平衡。在遗产保护、建筑生产和城市发展的交叉点上，学者们倡导应更严格地审视传统方法 [6]，这使得工业遗产更加成为这一不断演变的叙事中的关键方面。尤其在中国的许多农村和边缘地区，由于原有功能过时，那里的旧工业结构和场所，如粮站、工厂和仓库，已被废弃和忽视。作为中国工业时代的遗存，这些结构和场所提供了洞悉短暂但关键的社会和经济转型时期的宝贵机会，塑造了国家的当代图景[7]。无论是日常的还是纪念性的，对这些空间的保护都提供了一个能够和既有空间互动、积极而富有创造力的过程。保护和适应在这个过程中相互结合，从而促进社会经济、文化和城市叙事的延续，以此将过去与现在的元素相连接。

项目以江西省东北部的婺源县为背景，这里因一些国内保存最完好的古代徽派建筑和村落而闻名，清华镇的旧粮站就是这种“日常”工业遗产的生动例子。粮站是国家农业发展、粮食储存和国家管理粮食分配的核心组成部分，曾是国家与人民之间的重要纽带，起到促进互动并确保粮食安全的作用。在许多地区，它们已成为社区生活不可或缺的部分，对农民和城市居民都有巨大的社会经济意义[8]。随着中国经济的开放和市场化的转变，粮站与社会经济之间的相关性逐渐降低，变成了快速现代化背景下公众观念中的微弱回响。然而，这些结构中嵌入的叙事反映了人们关于适应集体记忆和过去的社会联系，而粮站曾经核心的位置现在象征着一个矛盾的空间，呼应了逝去的时代，但同时又存在于当下。

在当前这个加速变革的时代，清华镇旧粮站的保护和适应性再利用不仅有助于城乡的可持续发展，而且对于维护该地区的社会经济历史的有形联系至关重要，以促进社区内的延续性和身份认同。该场地缺乏直接的建筑形式特征，这不应被视为限制，而是应作为一个能够创造性地重新想象和振兴其空间的机会，并将其重新整合到当代城市肌理中，从而确保对当代和未来几代人的相关性和功能性的结合。然而，随着文化主导的消费市场的崛起和适应性再利用项目的愈加同质化，目前迫切需要一种更细致的方法，这一方法应该能够有效平衡有价值特征的保留与经济和社会文化的发展。该项目的研究从理论和实践作品中汲取见解——不仅限于适应性再利用，还将更广泛地融入工业遗产的讨论和研究，并整合到地方依附及地方记忆的研究中——因此采用了一种基于遗产的方法来研究和理解清华镇旧粮站独特的地域和社会背景，以反映并丰富它所属的社区。

2 方法论

基于近几十年的众多遗产修复和适应性再利用项目，显而易见的是，其与现有建筑和场地的互动存在无数种可能性。理论和实践的多样性表明，基于遗产的项目没有通用的解决方案。正相反，挑战就在于为每个独立项目找到最合适的干预措施。这就需要有一个特定的框架来分析遗产的价值和结构或场地的内在特质，并以此作为进行建筑干预的基础。遗产通过与历史、实践和地方依附之间的互动，充当了当下与未来改造提议之间的媒介。因此，基于遗产的方法不再主要受到预设建筑功能或设计师的艺术直觉启发，而是将焦点转向探索该遗产的局限性和可能性，从而在未来形成新的功能。

与通常在传统遗产建筑中强调美学属性和历史真实性相反，日常工业遗产的本质主要体现在过去的工业、社区和生活方式的叙事和历史中。然而，导致这些结构和场所被废弃的原因也常常对确定其价值带来重大挑战。随着曾经的工人和使用者因经济转型而迁出，这些空间常常被遗留在后，并且几乎没有任何有形的联系和可追溯的记忆。因此，考虑到工业构筑物和场地中普遍的建筑和功能类型，这些类型在历史和社会层面的普遍意义成为背景分析的重要部分。这种研究需要归纳概括，对于在更广泛的背景下理解和评估工业遗产的价值至关重要。

这些日常建筑物和场所纪念性价值的缺乏也进一步凸显了需要考虑干预手段经济可行性的重要性。一方面，这涉及应对有限的财政资源和当地建筑工人有限的技能水平所带来的潜在限制，另一方面，也需要考虑对这些构筑物和场所进行干预后的长期经济可行性。在缺少国家或市级保护力量的情况下，对日常工业遗产构筑物和场所的干预有更大的自由度；因此，进行选择性价值评估十分重要，从而确保其能够继续或重获与当代背景的相关性，并融入当代语境中。

3 基于遗产的适应性再利用的设计策略和框架

本项目的设计策略分为3 个关键部分：价值评估、宏观整合和微观干预。在第一部分中，设计策略研究并评估当前的遗产价值和场地的内在特质，深思熟虑地设计能促进社会、经济和文化发展的解决方案，并为其提供坚实基础。随后，宏观和微观干预过程则分别反映了工业遗产构筑物和场地的性质和规模。从历史上看，这些空间的战略区位旨在服务更大范围，通常从村庄、城镇和城市群到整个省。因此，需要考虑过去的基础设施、历史和社会联系，以确保它们能够长期重新融入更大范围的区域和社会网络。

在微观层面，干预重点在于建筑更新、适应和扩展，在强调既有结构独特价值的同时满足当代空间标准和需求。微观干预不仅仅是为当前用途重新匹配现有空间和结构，而是引入当代语境，为今后重新确立空间的相关性和可用性，其中包括对后续调整的准备和应对。

设计框架的搭建基于既定的基于遗产的方法和价值定义，将不同的视角综合成一个用于分析和评估日常工业遗产的细致结构。场地及其构筑物的内在特质被细分为7 个场地层次（图1），采用斯图尔特·布兰德（Stewart Brand）[9]在其“分层剪切（Shearing Layers）”概念中的术语并进行拓展。在工业遗产的背景下，这通常包括整个组合体而不是单独的结构，布兰德对“场地”的定义被拓展，以区分“周边环境”和“场地”本身。“周边环境”包括工业场地服务的更广泛区域，而“场地”指建筑组合的法定边界。另一方面，由于诸如旧机器等许多工业元素理论上都符合“服务系统”和“内容物”这两个定义，因此这两个层次被合并为一类。这个新的“服务系统和内容物”层涵盖了与原有工业功能相关的固定和非固定组件，包括电气和管道系统以及可移动的机器和设备。除了布兰德的术语，框架还融入了保罗·梅尔斯（Paul Meurs）对物体的物质本质、结构的空间本质和叙事的物质本质的定义。前两者被整合到“场地”“结构”“表皮”和“空间布局”的层次中，强调调查特定建筑构成部分以及建筑布局背后的总体空间逻辑的必要性。叙事的物质本质则被嵌入到库伊珀斯（Kuipers） 和德容（de Jonge） 的“ 场所精神（Spirit of Place）”[10] 的定义中，捕捉与构筑物及场所相关的或固有的无形的社会经济、文化和历史价值。

在这个框架下，对遗产价值的后续评估涉及一个多值决策的过程，融合了阿洛伊斯·里格尔（Alois Riegl）[11] 和保罗·梅尔斯的价值理念。这一过程识别了十类价值，并从“高”到“零”进行评估，显示了不同干预措施和考量方法的重要性和推荐度（图2）。该系统通过雷达图（图3）可视化，以便进行比较分析，从而指导有关保护的决策，包括对结构、建筑和建筑元素的部分或完全拆除。通过选择与日常工业遗产相关的价值，这一框架呈现了工业构筑物的特定性质，包括务实的设计意图和建造过程中资源的有限性。虽然工业构筑物和场地通常出于实用性而缺乏艺术价值，但特定组成部分可能被赋予相对的艺术价值，反映出当下对其非预期艺术性的欣赏。此外，使用价值、环境价值和社区价值等在决策过程中往往占有更大的比重，以确保拟采取的干预手段的可行性、延续性和可持续性。通过这种比较分析模型，设计框架能够适应矛盾的和互补的价值，强调理解其价值的多维性，及其在促进和延续日常工业构筑物和场地的社会、文化和建筑叙事中的关键作用。

项目置于婺源县更广泛的文化和经济背景之中，通过全面的区域分析获取周边区域的总体情况，包括人群类型——主要由老年人和儿童组成，以及独特的建筑和城市特征。例如，狭窄的城市布局、政府的鼓励措施与这些地区特色相结合，使得该县对农村旅游的关注度在过去几十年里逐步提高。此外，当地社区仍然保持着强烈的对传统民俗文化和非物质文化遗产的重视，许多传承人在积极实践和教授他们的手艺。在这一背景下，采用上述的多层次设计框架对老粮站进行分析，包括周边环境、场地、结构、表皮、空间布局、服务系统和内容物以及场所精神7 个层次，每一层次都能够提供对场地现状和历史意义的关键见解。

1）周边环境。

这一层次关注老粮站和清华镇的变化及当前动态，重点关注土地利用变化情况（图4）、城市形态学（图5）、可达性（图6）、景观（图7）和生活方式（图8）。镇上从商业活动中心逐步转变为以居住功能为主，使得社会活动主要集中在清华路上。这揭示了土地利用的重大变化，包括在建筑中融入对徽派建筑的现代诠释。虽然住宅供应量有所增长，但公共设施的明显短缺凸显了应该整合多样化公共活动，并将老粮站与其他行业联系起来，增加当地居民和游客参与的机会；从而振兴社会文化和经济角色。

2）场地。

这一部分深入探讨老粮站的历史背景，探索其历史语境、空间布局（图9）及当前状况（图10），评估了粮站历史上的运营情况和最终改造如何反映了更大范围的清华镇经济环境的转变。场地存在进入限制和物理障碍（图11），如封闭的边界和不显眼的入口，这阻碍了其在当代城市环境中的可见性，难以融入当代城市环境。因此，重新开放这些边界并增加建筑体量可以大大提高其可见性和可达性，将老粮站重新融入周边社区。此外，还建议通过增强室内外空间之间的联系，塑造一个更具互动性的、以社区为中心的环境。

3）结构。

结构分析探讨了老粮站4 座主要建筑的结构完整性和构成（图12，图13），重点关注了当地建筑风格和实用性建筑传统。仓库2，尤其是夹层走廊，以独特的特征使老粮站区别于同一时期的其他工业建筑。作为一个兼具实用性和结构性的元素，夹层走廊不仅展现了当地工艺，还代表了场地独特的工业遗产。因此，任何潜在的扩建都应设计为自支撑，以避免对现有结构造成额外压力，确保在适应现代用途的同时保持老粮站的历史完整性。

4）表皮。

这一层次评估了立面形式和各结构的材料特点（图14，图15），强调具体的细节和元素如何满足功能需求和操作要求。现有设计以砖柱和统一的结构网格为特点，展示了针对原有建筑功能的实用解决方案。这些特质在建筑的整体结构中发挥着关键作用，并呈现了独特的美学价值，可以在未来的干预中加以突出，增强场地的建筑吸引力。尤其是应该强调在仓库2 和部分仓库3 上可见的砖砌图案，将其作为场地重建中的关键视觉元素。此外，对建筑增加的任何新内容都应设计为补足而非掩盖现有立面，以保持老粮站的建筑完整性。

5）空间布局。

这一部分涉及评估建筑和整个场地的空间组成和流线（图16），特别关注原有结构如何支撑粮食存储和加工流程。老粮站原有的设计旨在优化操作流程和功能分离，现在则面临着适应现代用途的重大挑战。需要改善仓库内采光不良的问题，特别是仓库1 被邻近建筑严重阻挡，光线无法进入。其他仓库的空间也可能需要改进以满足内部空间的多功能性，从而适应未来使用。此外，重新启用沿夹层走廊的二楼流线可以进一步增强空间的功能性，提高建筑内部空间的可达性和流通性。

6）服务系统和内容物。

分析场地的公用设施和服务系统（ 图17），这一层次评估了这些系统的当前状态及其对现代需求的适应性。老粮站现有的公共服务相当基础，反映了由于资源和财政限制而要求采取简单解决方案的时代特征。如今这些系统不足以满足当代需求，需要进行重大调整，以满足当前标准。此外，增设专用的公共洗手间将显著改善清华镇的公共设施，同时提高场地对当地社区的可达性和可用性。

7）场所精神。

最后这一层次深入探讨了老粮站的无形本质，关注其历史意义及超越物理形态、承载记忆和意义的空间特质（图18）。尽管老粮站不再是清华镇日常活动的中心，但该场地的历史和社会文化价值提供了突出其独特属性的重要契机。强化夹层走廊、大尺度的开放式平面布局和仓储空间较高的层高等元素，在重建中可以激发对原有功能和流线的探索。此外，重新想象并恢复场地开放空间内的社交活动，可以将这些区域重新定位为社区互动和参与的焦点，从而重现老粮站的精神，并将其融入清华镇当代的社会环境中。

4 设计内容

4.1 价值评估

基于上述分析对老粮站每栋主要建筑进行了评估（图19，图20），以确定其保护、适应和再利用的策略，这些策略旨在与清华镇不断演进的城市环境（图21）协调一致。

老办公楼的结构最破败，阻碍了目前底层的流线，同时场地缺乏实用性，因此，拆除这座建筑将显著改善零散的外部空间的连通性，增强与周边城市肌理的融合，并开放宝贵的公共空间。此外，尽管仓库1 在结构上大部分是完好的，但由于它与邻近多层建筑的距离过近，采光极其有限且改造的潜力也受到限制，因此建议将该仓库替换。

相比之下，仓库2 有较高的遗产价值，结构相对完整。建议通过谨慎的干预增强用户体验感，加强地面层与夹层走廊之间的互动，引入干预性解决方案，在保持建筑历史特色的同时能够增强其功能性。仓库3 为大型建筑，占地面积较大，因此提供了进行富有创意的干预机会，这些干预手段在较小的空间中通常难以实施。此外，仓库2 和3 中的夹层走廊给出了一个保护与再利用的独特设计挑战和机会。重新思考这一特征可以激发建筑内部新的垂直流线和互动关系，既尊重历史意义，又符合当代安全标准。

4.2 宏观整合

完成价值评估之后，老粮站策略性地重新关联了该场地与更大范围的城市和社会环境进行宏观整合，重新定义了其为多元利益相关者服务的功能性和现实意义的空间角色。在之前区域分析的基础上，通过对潜在使用人群及其需求的详细研究，确定了包括当地居民、工匠、游客和研究团体在内的关键目标群体——后者也包括乡村振兴工作站的学生团体。场地规划围绕3 个主要部分进行：一个专用的公共空间，一个研究驻地和一些创意工作坊，旨在促进社会互动、知识交流和文化保护。这些空间的目的是解决清华镇缺乏社区交流空间的问题，并为当地工匠和游客提供教育和互动平台，同时提供与当地社区深度融合的研究设施。

宏观整合的关键干预重点在于提高场地的布局和可达性。建议策略性拆除仓库1、老办公楼和辅助结构，使场地向西南和东北方向打开，改善与周边区域的联通性和视觉联系。仓库2 改造为主要的公共功能，如咖啡厅和创意工作区，这一区域被定位为游客到来后的首个接触点和活动枢纽。与之相反，仓库3 改造为研究人员的宿舍，因为其位于后方能够确保隐私，但同时也能够保持与场地内的社区功能相连接。

同样重要的是改善场地的通达性（图22，图23），包括将主入口迁移到东侧小巷，以增加清华路方向可见性，且能够确保更好的紧急通道功能。仓库1 被停车区取代，这一区域也可以为电动摩托车提供额外配套设施，解决了镇上游客和当地居民停车困难的问题。

建筑体块的布局策略（图24）呼应了自二十世纪七八十年代以来清华镇不断演变的城市环境，尤其是中层建筑的增多。在基本保持场地原有的建筑层数较低的特征的同时，建议在特定区域适度增加高度，以提升场地的城市形象并改善自然日光条件。仓库1 将被一个新的雨篷结构替代，仓库2 西北侧和仓库3 将分别会在西北侧和垂直方向进行加建，使得场地历史意义不受损害的同时更加协调地融入当前的城市环境。

4.3 微观干预

作为设计策略的最后一步，微观干预策略关注在宏观策略下建筑尺度的实施手段，采用能够增强公众体验的当代空间形式，并延续老粮站的建筑、社会、文化和经济叙事。

粮站被重新设计为一个创意文化枢纽（图25），设计过程采用策略性的建筑介入方式，包括选择性拆除、保护和新项目的整合（图26）。仓库2 和仓库3 分别改造为创意工作坊咖啡厅和研究驻地，同时建议在场地东北侧新建一个公共大厅，提供更大的多功能空间和公共设施，以增强场地的功能性和可达性，服务游客和当地居民。

仓库2 的适应性再利用重点关注对现有结构的最小干扰（图27），遵循更传统的建筑布局，对内部空间进行对称的精细化处理，西侧为两个封闭的工作坊空间，东侧为开放式接待处和咖啡吧。中央空间有意避免任何永久性结构，尽可能保留现有的空间体验（图28）。与之相反，在建筑的前方进行了扩建，从而在无需对立面进行重大改动的情况下，使得更多日光进入内部空间。这处扩展还增加了一个通往夹层空间的新入口，经由建筑西侧的既有入口将旧仓库与新的公共大厅相连。与此相反，东侧破旧的既有入口被转化为看向空间内部的视觉通廊。

仓库3 进行了更为彻底的改造（图29），以满足小型至中型研究团体所需的生活和工作设施。在设计中尽可能少地干预原有砖石墙，底层包括后方的阁楼房间，前方及侧面的公共区域可与场地的其他项目结合使用。中央砖柱被移除，以最大限度地利用既有大尺度空间，这种大尺度空间在婺源县并不多见。位于上层的中央走廊代替了原有的夹层走廊，重新确立了建筑的中轴线，并在其左右设置了额外的卧室和多功能空间。

场地唯一全新的结构是公共大厅（ 图30），这主要用于承载现有仓库中无法容纳的更宽敞、更高的空间。这栋建筑的一个主要目的是增加公共洗手间，以填补清华镇公共设施的空白。公共大厅在与之相邻小巷的关键位置使得人们从内部和外部都能够进入洗手间，从而确保其功能独立于老粮站的其他区域。

从结构上看，该项目在场地内引入了自承重钢框架系统（图31），既保持了原有的工业特色，同时最大化了未来结构的灵活性。设计中注意对既有结构的适应，包括考虑改进保温隔热层、结构加固构件（如仓库3 的原有屋顶桁架）以及加入新的钢框架，而不损坏现有的木框架和砖墙。既有立面的重复和实用性由建筑干预手段通过外部材料和构成得以延续和补充。基于对现有构成的研究，立面采用了如镀锌钢和垂直金属叶片等材料，呼应既有墙体的简洁性和比例，并通过延续视觉节奏感实现新旧融合（图32）。然而，公共大厅位于场地与粮仓旁边的现代徽派建筑之间，略微偏离了这一模式，其立面更加强调垂直方向的划分，并增加了额外的细节，如图案窗格和回收的传统门叶，从而实现在传统语言和工业建筑语言之间的过渡。在保持材料选择总体特征的基础上，公共大厅特意选择了更轻质的材料，将注意力更加集中在坚固的砖石和钢结构上。

虽然对内部空间的干预更多地关注老粮站的建筑层面和审美方面，但对场地开放空间的变化也强调了其社会和公共角色。通过开放场地边界和拆除老办公楼，外部空间融合成一个不同开放程度的大型公共区域，由前面的大型开放广场（图33）过渡到后部更私密的庭院（图34）。它们之间（图35）由代替了老办公楼建筑基底的有顶通道相连，在各种天气条件下均可提供阴凉和遮蔽。这些公共空间通过众多既有和增设的入口与内部空间相连，以支持各种社区活动和大型事件，吸引当地居民和游客。这种适应性构成了老粮站长期韧性、可持续性和社会经济价值的核心，塑造了一个能够随着社区需求而变化的动态环境。

5 结 语

基于遗产的适应性再利用方法强调将既有的建筑肌理视为可以进行创造性重构的潜在机遇，而非局限性。这一关于清华镇老粮站的研究关注了遗产保护、建筑生产和城市发展三者的交叉点。这不仅是一个常被忽视的“日常”工业遗产的范例，也是应对改造所遇到的固有挑战的示例。此外，工业遗产不仅仅是过去的遗存，更能够对当代社会、文化和经济活力作出积极贡献。

本文将理论研究成果融入三层次的设计策略中，从基于现有理论并针对日常工业遗产的背景形成的初步价值评估出发，指导后续的宏观和微观层面的干预。在宏观层面，设计策略性地将老粮站重新嵌入更广阔的城市与社会脉络，不仅改善了场地的物理可达性，还重新定义了它在地方和区域环境中的角色。场地本身被重新定位为一个创意文化枢纽，能够容纳多样化的使用人群，并构建灵活且多功能的空间，用于社区参与和经济发展。微观干预策略详细阐释了适应现代需求的建筑方案，同时保护并在某些情况下强化场地的历史意义。除了新建的公共大厅外，两个既有仓库被改造成创意工作坊的咖啡厅和研究驻地，每个空间都旨在增强公众体验并为场地注入新的活力。这些干预措施不仅仅带来物质环境的转变，还通过创建可适应和多功能的空间来促进可持续发展，确保老粮站长期的适应性和相关性。

本项目中使用的设计框架强调了采用多层面的基于遗产适应性再利用方法的重要性，这种方法整合了社会、文化和经济多维视角，在保护场地原有价值的同时，将其转化为充满活力且可持续的当代空间中。然而，本研究的目的并不在于为日常工业遗产地点的再利用提供通用解决方案，而是彰显其潜在价值并激发更深入的研究。它将基于遗产的方法作为应对类似挑战的基础，鼓励认识到标志性和日常工业遗产能够作为社会经济、文化和城市发展的关键驱动力。未来的研究可以以此为基础，推进遗产保护向更可持续的未来演进——一个倡导重复利用、包容性和文化敏感性的未来，从而确保这些日常的工业构筑物和场地，能够继续成为城市、乡村和边缘地带富有活力和不可或缺的部分。

参考文献

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ORIGINAL TEXTS IN ENGLISH

A Heritage-Based Approach toAdaptive Reuse：Reimagining the Old Grain Station inQinghua Town

Jennifer Wei Zhang

0 Introduction

Since the late-modern era， the intersectionof heritage with contemporary life has created anincreasingly distinct experience of being， working，and dwelling amid a mix of old and new. A resultof several factors， such as the shift towards postindustrialismand late-modern capitalism， this oftendeliberateencounter with physical traces of the past inthe present has become integral not only in the designof urban centres but also to the evolving characterof rural and Hinterland landscapes. Alongside theaccelerating pace of technological， socioeconomic，and environmental changes， these developments havefostered a sense of nostalgia and a heightened interestin preserving experiences， memories， and values atrisk of being lost in the current environment[1]. Thus，rather than a passive remnant of things from the past，heritage， both tangible and intangible， is increasinglyseen as an active process of assembling and curatingobjects， places， and practices that reflect presentdayvalues and aspirations. This positions heritageas a creative tool to open conversations， influencedecision-making， and address sociocultural， economic，and environmental concerns[2].

Paradoxically， the same forces that have sparkedgreater interest in heritage have also given rise tonew markets for its exhibition and consumption，effectively turning it into a valuable asset within theexperience economy. Among various fields， tourismwas one of the first industries to embrace heritageas this type of commodity[3]. As an increasinglywidespread instrument to boost local economies，tourism in China has become particularly focused inrural and Hinterland regions over the past decades[4].However， the growing number of cultural experiencesand opportunities for active participation in thesenew tourism destinations – often involving historicbuildings， sites， objects， and practices – has alsoled to issues of over-commercialisation and stagedexperiences， diminishing the historical integrity ofmany traditional villages and towns. To address thesechallenges， numerous scholars have highlightedthe need to emphasise the interest of local residentsand consider local attitudes towards heritage andcommercialisation alongside the cultural and socialcapital of places[5].

This project was completed as part of TsinghuaUniversity’s Rural Revitalisation Workstation， whichhas been conducting on-site investigations in variousnon-urban regions across China， exploring theirindustry， culture， ecology， and management. A centralcomponent of the Workstation is the establishment ofstudent research bases in suitable villages and towns，focusing on repurposing neglected and underutilisedstructures for educational， cultural， and communityuses. This approach highlights the importance ofexisting structures in providing richness and depthwithin the built environment， shifting the focus fromlarge-scale replacements to reimagining spaces torestore and continue their socioeconomic and culturalsignificance. Confronted with a typical Hinterlandsite in Jiangxi Province’s Wuyuan County， QinghuaTown is set between surrounding urban centres andtraditional Hui-style villages. Tucked away fromscenic tourist spots while rooted within the county’srich historical background， the challenge therefore layin finding a suitable approach to turn obsolescenceand constraints into opportunities and assets forsustainable and inclusive development.

1 Conceptual Framework

The concept of “heritage” has evolvedsignificantly over time. As national and globalheritage protection lists continue to grow， manyscholars argue that the predominant focus on the official representation and management of heritagetransfers ownership away from the public to “experts，”thus emphasising heritage as a professional activityand a relic of a past that is detached from everydaylife and localised contexts[5]. In response， there hasbeen a growing recognition of “ordinary” objectsand structures within the broader heritage discourse，challenging the traditional heritage preservationmodel that primarily focuses on monumental andaesthetically significant attributes. The term “ordinary”refers to structures and sites that may not possessoutstanding architectural or historical significance butnonetheless play a crucial role in the social fabric ofcommunities and collective memory at risk of fadingwithout intervention. Free from state-led conservationand protection efforts， these structures and sites arealso able to develop more organically alongside theirsocial， political， and environmental surroundings.

Th i s p r es ence o f h e r i tage wit h i n thecontemporary architectural discourse has been furtheraccentuated by shifts in societal values and urbandevelopment paradigms， emphasising sustainabledevelopment alongside cultural preservation.Industrial heritage， in particular， has become acritical aspect of this evolving narrative， withscholars advocating for a more critical examinationof traditional approaches through the intersection ofheritage conservation， architectural production， andurban development[6]. This is particularly relevantin many rural and Hinterland regions across China，where old industrial structures and sites， such asgrain stations， factories， and warehouses， havebeen abandoned and neglected since their originalfunctions became obsolete. As remnants of China’sindustrial era， these structures and sites offer valuableinsights into a brief but critical period of social andeconomic transitions that have shaped the country’scontemporary landscapes[7]. The protection of suchspaces， whether ordinary or monumental， thus requiresan active and creative process of working with theexisting. One that encompasses both preservationand adaptation to facilitate the continuation ofsocioeconomic， cultural， and urban narratives; thus，linking past and present elements.

Set in the context of Wuyuan County - locatedin the north-eastern part of Jiangxi Province andknown for some of the most well-preserved ancientHui-style buildings and villages in the country -the Old Grain Station in Qinghua Town serves as apoignant example of such an “ordinary” industrialheritage site. Once a central component in thecountry’s development of agriculture， grain storage，and state-managed grain distribution， grain stationsserved as a vital link between the state and thepeople， fostering direct interactions and ensuringfood security. In many regions， they became anintegral part of community life， holding greatsocioeconomic importance for both rural farmers andurban dwellers[8]. As China’s economy opened up andshifted towards market-driven reforms， the relevanceof grain stations gradually diminished， transforminginto faint echoes in the public consciousness againstthe backdrop of rapid modernisation. Nevertheless，the embedded narratives within these structures reflecta collective memory of resilience， adaptability， andformer social ties， while their once-central locationnow represents a paradoxical space， echoing a bygoneera yet remaining conspicuously present.

Amid the accelerating pace of change in thecurrent times， the protection and adaptive reuse of theOld Grain Station in Qinghua Town therefore not onlycontributes to sustainable urban-rural development，but is also crucial to maintaining a tangible connectionto the region’s socioeconomic history， fostering asense of continuity and identity within communities.Rather than serving as a limitation， the site’s lack ofimmediate architectural appeal presents an opportunityto creatively reimagine and revitalise its spaces，reintegrating them into the contemporary urbanfabric to ensure their relevance and functionality forpresent and future generations. However， with therising dominance of culture-led market consumptionand concerning homogenisation of adaptivereuse projects， there is a pressing need for a morenuanced approach; one that effectively balances thepreservation of valuable characteristics with economicand sociocultural development. Drawing insights fromboth theoretical and practical works – not limited toadaptive reuse， but also integrating broader industrialheritage discourses and studies into place attachmentsand memory -， the project therefore adopts a heritagebasedapproach to explore and understand the uniqueregional and social context of the Old Grain Station inQinghua Town to reflect and enrich the communitiesit serves.

2 Methodology

Based on the numerous restoration andadaptive reuse projects concerning heritage sites inrecent decades， it is evident that there are countlesspossibilities for engaging with existing buildingsand sites. The diversity in both theory and practicehighlights that there is no universal solution toheritage-based work. Instead， the challenge liesin finding the most suitable intervention for eachindividual project. This requires a specific frameworkthrough which to analyse heritage values andintrinsic qualities of a structure or site as a base forarchitectural interventions. By engaging with pasthistories， practices， and attachments， heritage acts asa mediator between what is existing and what shouldbe proposed. Thus， heritage-based approaches moveaway from being primarily inspired by predeterminedbuilding functions or the artistic intuition of thedesigner， and instead shift the focus towards exploringthe limitations and possibilities of heritage sites tocreate new functions for the future.

In contrast to the conventional emphasis onaesthetic attributes and historic authenticity intraditional heritage buildings， the essence of ordinaryindustrial heritage is predominantly embeddedin the narratives and histories of past industries，communities， and lifestyles. However， the very reasonscontributing to the abandonment of these structuresand sites also often pose significant challengesto the identification of their values. As former workers and users relocate due to economic shifts，these spaces are often left behind with barely anytangible connections and traceable memories. Thus，considering the prevalence of common architecturaland functional typologies among industrial structuresand sites， the general historical and social significanceof these typologies becomes an essential part of thebackground analysis. Such investigations， whilenecessitating certain generalisations， are crucial for anuanced understanding and assessment of their valueswithin the broader context of industrial heritage.

The absence of monumental values in theseordinary structures and sites also further highlights theimportance to consider the economic feasibility of newinterventions. On one hand， this involves navigatingpotential restrictions posed by financial resourcesand limited skill levels of local construction workers，while on the other hand， it also requires considerationsregarding the long-term economic viability of thesestructures and sites post-intervention. Without nationalor municipal conservation efforts， ordinary industrialheritage structures and sites offer more freedom inthe degree of intervention; thus， underscoring theimportance of a selective value assessment to ensureits continued or regained relevance and integrationinto the contemporary context.

3 Design Strategy and Framework forHeritage-Based Adaptive Reuse

The design strategy of this project is structuredinto three key segments： value assessment， macrointegration， and micro intervention. In the firstsegment， the strategy explores and evaluates presentdayheritage values and intrinsic qualities of the siteto provide a solid foundation for considerate designsolutions that foster social， economic， and culturaldevelopment. The subsequent distinction into macroand micro processes reflects the nature and scale ofindustrial heritage structures and sites. Historically，the strategic positioning of such spaces was designedto serve broader contexts， which often ranged fromvillage， town and city clusters to entire municipalities;thus， necessitating considerations of formerinfrastructural， historical， and social connections toensure their long-lasting reintegration into the widerurban and social fabric.

At the micro level， interventions focus onarchitectural regeneration， adaptation and expansion，emphasising the unique values of existing structureswhile at the same time addressing contemporaryspatial standards and needs. Instead of merelyretrofitting the existing for current uses， microinterventions introduce a contemporary layer thatreinstates the relevance and usability of spaces forthe future， including anticipating and accommodatinglater adaptations.

The design framework builds upon establishedheritage-based approaches and value definitions，synthesising different perspectives into a nuancedstructure for analysing and assessing ordinaryindustrial heritage. Intrinsic qualities of the site andits structures are dissected into seven site layers（Figure 1）， adopting Stewart Brand’s[9] terminology in his concept of “Shearing Layers” and expandingupon it. In the context of industrial heritage， whichtypically comprises entire complexes rather thanindividual stand-alone structures， Brand’s definitionof “Site” is broadened to differentiate between the“Surrounding” – encompassing the wider service areaof the industrial site – and the “Site” itself， whichrefers to the legally defined boundaries of the buildingcomplex. On the other hand， the layers of “Services”and “Stuff” are combined into one category asmany industrial elements， such as old machineries，theoretically fit both definitions. This new layer of“Services and Stuff” encompasses both fixed and nonfixedcomponents associated with previous industrialfunctions， including electrical and plumbing systems，as well as moveable machinery and equipment.Alongside Brand’s terminology， the framework alsoincorporates Paul Meurs’ definitions on the materialessence of the object， the spatial essence of thestructure， and the material essence of the narrative.The former two are integrated into the layers of “Site”，“Structure”， “Skin”， and “Space Plan”， highlightingthe necessity to investigate particular buildingcomponents as well as the overarching spatial logicbehind the architectural arrangements. The materialessence of the narrative is embedded within Kuipersand de Jonge’s definition of “Spirit of Place”[10]，capturing the intangible socioeconomic， cultural，and historic values inhered or associated with thestructures and site.

The subsequent evaluation of heritage valueswithin this framework involves a multi-valuedecision-making process， integrating value conceptsby Alois Riegl[11] and Paul Meurs . This processidentifies ten types of values， which are assessedon a scale from high to zero， indicating varyingdegrees of significance alongside different levelsof recommended interventions and considerations（Figure 2）. Visualised through a radar chart （Figure3）， this system facilitates a comparative analysis toinform decisions on preservation， partial or completedemolition of structures， buildings， and buildingelements. By selecting values pertinent to ordinaryindustrial heritage， this framework addresses thespecific nature of industrial structures， includingpragmatic design intentions and the limited resourceswith which they were typically constructed. Whileindustrial structures and sites typically lack artisticvalue due to their utilitarian nature， a relative artisticvalue may be attributed to specific components，reflecting a contemporary appreciation for theirunintended artistic qualities. Moreover， values，such as use value， context value， and communityvalue， often hold greater weight in the decisionmakingprocess to ensure the feasibility， viability andsustainability of intended interventions. Through thiscomparative analysis model， the design frameworkaccommodates both contradictory and complementaryvalues， highlighting the importance of understandingthe multifaceted nature of embedded values， andtheir critical role in fostering and continuing thesocial， cultural， and architectural narrative of ordinaryindustrial structures and sites.

Situated within the broader cultural andeconomic context of Wuyuan county， a comprehensiveregional analysis provides a general overview ofthe surrounding area. This outline includes primarydemographic groups – consisting of mainly elderlyand children – as well as unique architectural andurban features， such as the three carvings and narrowurban layouts， which combined with governmentincentives has boosted the county’s focus on ruraltourism in the past decades. Additionally， localcommunities still carry a strong sense of traditionalfolk culture and an emphasis on intangible culturalheritage with numerous inheritors actively practicingand teaching their craft. Building on this contextualbackground， the analysis of the Old Grain Stationemploys the multi-layered design framework fromabove， including the seven layers of surrounding，site， structure， skin， space plan， services and stuff，and spirit of place; each providing critical insightsinto the current state and historical significance ofthe site：

S u r r o u n d i n g ： T h i s l a y e r e x a m i n e s t h etransformation and current dynamics of the OldGrain Station and Qinghua Town， focusing on landuse changes （Figure 4）， urban morphology （Figure5）， accessibility （Figure 6）， landscape （Figure 7）， andlifestyle activities （Figure 8）. The town’s transitionfrom a commercial hub to a predominantly residentialarea has concentrated social activity primarily alongQinghua Road. This shift reveals significant changesin land use， which were accompanied by modernconstructions that adopt a contemporary interpretationof Hui-style architecture. While residential provisionsincreased， a notable shortage of public amenitieshighlights opportunities for integrating diverse publicprogrammes and linking the Old Grain Station withother industries to foster engagement from locals andvisitors alike; thus， revitalising its sociocultural andeconomic role.

Site： This section delves into the historicbackground of the Old Grain Station， exploring itshistorical context， spatial configurations （Figure9）， and current condition （Figure 10）. It evaluateshow the station’s historical operations and eventualrepurposing reflect broader shifts in Qinghua Town’seconomic landscape. The site’s limited accessand physical barriers （Figure 11）， such as closedboundaries and an unobtrusive entrance， hindervisibility and integration into the contemporary urbancontext. Reopening these boundaries and increasingbuilding volumes could therefore greatly enhance bothvisibility and accessibility， reintegrating the Old GrainStation with its surrounding community. Additionally，it is suggested to foster a more interactive andcommunity-focused environment by enhancing theconnections between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Structure： The analysis of the structure exploresthe structural integrity and composition of the OldGrain Station’s four main buildings （Figure 12 amp;13）， focusing on their reflection of local architecturalstyles and utilitarian building traditions. The designof Warehouse 2， and particularly its mezzaninecorridor， stands out through distinctive featuresthat differentiate the Old Grain Station from otherindustrial buildings of the same era. Both a practicaland structural element， the mezzanine corridor notonly showcases the local craftsmanship but alsorepresents a unique aspect of the site’s industrialheritage. Any potential extensions should thereforebe designed to be self-supporting to avoid additionalstress on the existing structures， ensuring the OldGrain Station’s historical integrity is maintained whileaccommodating contemporary uses.

Skin： This layer assesses the façade patternand materiality of the individual structures （Figure14 amp;15）， emphasising how specific details andelements meet functional demands and operationalrequirements. Characterised by brick columns anduniform structural grids， the existing design showcasesa pragmatic solution tailored to the original buildingfunctions. These qualities play a crucial role in the overall structure of the buildings and contribute adistinctive aesthetic that could be highlighted in futureinterventions to enhance the site’s architectural appeal.The visible brick patterns， particularly on Warehouse2 and partially on Warehouse 3， present an opportunityto be better emphasised， integrating it as a key visualelement in the site’s redevelopment. Furthermore， anynew additions to the buildings should be designedto complement， rather than overshadow， the existingfacades to maintain the architectural integrity of theOld Grain Station.

Space Plan： This section involves the evaluationof the spatial composition and circulation （Figure 16）through the buildings and overall site， focusing inparticular on how the original structures supported thelogistics of grain storage and processing. Designed tooptimise operational flow and functional separation，the Old Grain Station now faces significant challengesin adapting for contemporary uses. Key modificationsare necessary to improve existing poor daylightconditions within the warehouses， particularly inWarehouse 1， where light entry is severely obstructedby adjacent buildings. Spatial adaptations in theother warehouse may also be required to improve theversatility of internal spaces in order to accommodatefuture functions. Moreover， reinstating the secondfloorcirculation along the mezzanine corridor couldfurther enhance the functionality of the spaces，especially in facilitating access and movementthroughout the buildings.

Services and Stuff： Exploring the utility andservice systems of the site （Figure 17）， this layerassesses the current state of these systems andtheir suitability for modern requirements. Theexisting utility services of the Old Grain Stationare rather basic and reflective of the time whenresource and financial constraints dictated simplersolutions. Today， these systems are inadequatefor contemporary needs， necessitating significantmodifications and additions to meet currentstandards. Additionally， the introduction of adedicated public restroom area would significantlyenhance the provision of public facilities withinQinghua Town， increasing the site’s accessibility andusability for the local community.

Spirit of Place： The final layer delves intothe intangible essence of the Old Grain Station，focusing on its historical significance and thespatial characteristics that embody memories andmeanings beyond its physical state （Figure 18）.Though no longer central to the daily activities inQinghua Town， the site’s historical and socioculturalvalues offer substantial opportunities to accentuatedistinct attributes. Emphasising elements such as themezzanine corridor， the large open floor plans， andthe notable height of the former storage spaces inthe redevelopment could spark curiosity about pastfunctions and circulations. Moreover， reimaginingand reinstating social activities within the site’s openspaces could reposition these areas as focal pointsfor community interaction and engagement， thusrediscovering the spirit of the Old Grain Station andintegrating it into the contemporary social landscapeof Qinghua Town.

4 Design

4.1 Value Assessment

Based on the above analysis， an assessment（Figure 19 amp; 20） for each main building at the OldGrain Station was conducted to determine strategiesfor their protection， adaptation， and reuse which aretailored to align with Qinghua Town’s evolving urbanlandscape （Figure 21）.

The old office building， identified as the mostdeteriorated structure， currently obstructs groundfloor circulation while offering minimal utility tothe site. The demolition of this structure wouldtherefore significantly improve connectivity acrossthe fragmented external spaces， enhancing integrationwith the surrounding urban fabric and opening upvaluable public space. Additionally， Warehouse 1，though mostly structurally sound， is suggested forreplacement due to its proximity to adjacent multistoreybuildings that result in poor daylight access andrestricted redevelopment possibilities.

In contrast， Warehouse 2 retains a high heritagevalue and structural integrity. Careful interventionsare advised to enhance the user experience andinteraction between the ground level and mezzaninecorridor， introducing access solutions that maintainthe building’s historical character while enhancingits functionality. Warehouse 3， with its large buildingfootprint， presents ample opportunities for creativeinterventions， allowing for the accommodation ofprogrammes that are otherwise difficult to implementin smaller spaces. Furthermore， the mezzaninecorridors in Warehouse 2 and 3 pose a unique designchallenge and opportunity regarding their utilisationand protection. Reimagining this feature could fosterdynamic new vertical movements and interactionswithin the buildings that respect both historicalsignificance and contemporary safety standards.

4.2 Macro Integration

Following the value assessment， the macrointegration of the Old Grain Station strategicallyreconnects the site with its broader urban and sociallandscape， redefining its role as a functional andrelevant space for diverse stakeholders. Buildingon the preceding regional analysis， a detailed studyof potential users and their needs identified keygroups including local residents， craftsmen， leisuretourists， and research groups - the latter of whichalso accommodates for the Rural RevitalisationWorkstation student groups. The site programme isstructured around three main components designedto foster social interaction， knowledge exchange，and cultural preservation： a dedicated public space，a research residency， and creative workshops. Theproposed spaces aim to address the lack of communalareas in Qinghua Town， provide educational andsocial interaction platforms for local craftsman andtourists， and offer research facilities that are deeplyintegrated with the local community.

Key interventions for the macro integrationfocus on enhancing the site’s layout and accessibility.Strategic demolitions of Warehouse 1， the old officebuilding， and ancillary structures are proposed toopen up the site to the southwest and northeast，thereby improving access and visual connections tothe surrounding area. Warehouse 2 is repurposed toaccommodate the main public functions， such as acafé， and creative workshop areas， positioning it asthe first point of contact for visitors and a centralhub of activity. Conversely， Warehouse 3 is adaptedinto a research accommodation， located towardsthe back to ensure privacy while maintainingfunctional connectivity with community spacesacross the site.

Equally critical are improvements to thesite’s ease of access （Figure 22 amp; 23）， includingthe relocation of the main entrance to the easternalleyway to increase visibility from Qinghua Roadand ensure better emergency access. A dedicatedparking area replaces Warehouse 1， which alongside additional provisions for electric motorbikes addressesthe town’s current lack of parking facilities for bothvisitors and local residents.

The massing strategy （Figure 24） responds toQinghua Town’s evolving urban context， which hasseen an increase in mid-rise buildings since the 1970sand 80s. While mostly maintaining the site’s low-riseprofile to preserve its original character， modest heightincreases are proposed in specific areas to enhancethe site’s urban presence and improve natural daylightconditions. A new canopy structure， intended toreplace Warehouse 1， along with a new constructionto the northwest of Warehouse 2， and a verticalexpansion of Warehouse 3 integrate the site morecohesively into the current urban landscape withoutcompromising its historical essence.

4.3 Micro Interventions

As the final step of the design strategy， themicro interventions focus on the architecturalimplementations within the macro strategies，introducing a contemporary spatial layer that enhancesthe public experience and extends the architectural，social， cultural， and economic narratives of the OldGrain Station.

Reimagined as a Creative Cultural Hub（Figure 25）， the design process involves theselective demolition， preservation， and integrationof new programmes through strategic architecturalinterventions （Figure 26）. Warehouses 2 and 3 arerepurposed into a Creative Workshop Café anda Research Residency， respectively， while a newCommunal Hall is proposed on the northeast side ofthe site， providing larger multipurpose spaces andpublic amenities to enhance the site’s functionalityand accessibility for both visitors and local residents.

The adaptive reuse of Warehouse 2 focuses onminimal disruptions to the existing structure （Figure27）. Adhering to more traditional building layouts，the internal interventions are arranged symmetrically，with two enclosed workshop spaces to the west andan open reception and café bar to the east. The centralspace intentionally avoids any permanent structuresto preserve the existing spatial experience as much aspossible （Figure 28）. Instead， an extension at the frontexpands the building to allow more daylight into theinterior space without major alterations to the facades.This extension also creates a new access point to themezzanine level， linking the former warehouse to thenew Communal Hall via an existing door openingon the west side of the building. Conversely， thedilapidated existing access point on the east side istransformed into a visual link looking into the space.

Warehouse 3 undergoes a more extensivetransformation （Figure 29） to accommodate necessaryliving and working facilities for small to mediumresearch groups. Maintaining the masonry walls withas few interventions as possible， the ground floorincorporates loft rooms at the back and common areasto the front and side， which can be used in conjunctionwith the other programmes of the site. The centralbrick columns are removed to maximise the use of thelarge existing space， a rarity in the context of WuyuanCounty. Replacing the original mezzanine corridor， acentral corridor on the upper floor re-establishes thecentral axis， providing additional bedroom facilitiesand multifunctional spaces to its left and right.

The only fully new structure of the site， theCommunal Hall （Figure 30）， primarily servesto accommodate wider and taller spaces that areotherwise difficult to accommodate in the existingwarehouses. A main objective of the building is theaddition of a public restroom area， addressing a gapin Qinghua Town’s provision of public amenities. Itsstrategic location along the adjacent alleyway allowsthe restrooms to be accessed both internally andexternally， thus ensuring its functionality independentfrom other areas of the Old Grain Station.

Structurally， the project introduces selfsupportingsteel frame systems across the site （Figure31） to maintain the original industrial character whilesimultaneously maximising structural flexibility forthe future. Particular attention is paid to the adaptationof existing structures， including considerations toretrofit thermal insulations， reinforce structuralelements， such as the original roof truss in Warehouse3， and insert new steel frames without damaging theexisting timber frames and brick walls. The repetitiveand pragmatic pattern of the existing facades iscontinued and complemented through the externalmateriality and composition of the architecturalinterventions. Based on previous studies on theexisting composition， the proposed façade designincorporates materials like galvanised steel andvertical metal blades that echo the simplicity andproportionality of the existing walls， integrating thenew with the old by maintaining the visual rhythmof the structures （Figure 32）. However， sandwichedbetween the site and modern Hui-style architectureadjacent to the Old Grain Station， the new CommunalHall slightly deviates from this pattern， featuringa more vertical emphasis in its façade division andadditional details， such as patterned window panelsand the use of recycled traditional door leaves toserve as a transition between the traditional andindustrial architectural language. While maintainingthe general choice of materiality， the Communal Hallis deliberately kept more lightweight to keep the focuson the solid masonry and steel structures.

While interventions on the internal spaces focusmore on the architectural and aesthetic aspects of theOld Grain Station， changes to the site’s open spacesemphasise its social and public role. By openingup the site borders and demolishing the old officebuilding， the external spaces merge into one largepublic area of different thresholds， transitioning froma large open square at the front （Figure 33） to more aprivate courtyard at the rear （Figure 34）. In between，a covered passageway （Figure 35） replaces the formerbuilding footprint of the old office building， allowingfor shade and cover during various weather conditions.Connected to the internal spaces through numerousexisting and proposed entrances， these public spacessupport a variety of community activities and largerevents that hope to draw in both locals and tourists.This adaptability is central to the long-term resilience，sustainability， and socioeconomic relevance of the OldGrain Station， fostering a dynamic environment thatcan evolve with the community’s needs.

5 Conclusion

Embracing a heritage-based approach toadaptive reuse highlights the transformative potentialof viewing the existing architectural fabric notas a constraint but as an opportunity for creativereinterpretation. This research into the Old GrainStation in Qinghua Town explores the intersection ofheritage conservation， architectural production， andurban development; exemplifying often-overlooked“ordinary” industrial heritage sites and addressingthe inherent challenges that come with theirredevelopment. Furthermore， it recognises industrialheritage not as mere relics of the past， but rather as anactive contributor to the contemporary social， cultural，and economic vitality of communities.

The approach adopted in this paper capturestheoretical findings and insights into a three-tiereddesign strategy; beginning with an initial value assessment that is built upon existing theoriesand tailored to the context of ordinary industrialheritage sites to inform subsequent macro and microlevelinterventions. At the macro level， the designstrategically reconnects the Old Grain Station to itsbroader urban and social contexts， not only improvingthe site’s physical accessibility but also redefiningits role within the local and regional landscape. Thesite itself is repositioned as a Creative Cultural Hub，accommodating diverse user groups and fosteringa flexible and multifunctional space for communityengagement and economic development. The microinterventions detail architectural solutions necessaryto adapt the existing structures to contemporary needswhile protecting， and in some cases accentuating，the site’s historical essence. In addition to a newlyconstructed Communal Hall， two existing warehousesare transformed into a Creative Workshop Café anda Research Residency， each tailored to enhance thepublic experience and inject new vitality into thesite. Beyond the mere physical transformation， theseinterventions aim to promote sustainable developmentby creating adaptable and versatile spaces to ensurethe long-term adaptability and relevance of the OldGrain Station.

The design framework used in this projecthighlights the importance of a multifaceted heritagebasedapproach to adaptive reuse that incorporatessocial， cultural and economic perspectives toprotect valuable attributes while at the same timeeffectively integrating them into dynamic and viablecontemporary spaces. Nonetheless， the outcomes ofthis research are not intended to provide a universalsolution to the redevelopment of ordinary industrialheritage sites， but rather aim to highlight their valueand inspire further exploration. It presents heritagebasedapproaches as a foundation for addressingsimilar challenges， encouraging the recognition ofboth monumental and ordinary industrial heritage aspivotal drivers for socioeconomic， cultural， and urbandevelopment. Future research is encouraged to buildupon this foundation in order to advance heritageprotection towards a more sustainable future. Onethat favours re-use， and advocates for inclusivity andcultural sensitivity; thus， ensuring that these ordinaryindustrial structures and sites remain a vibrant andintegral part of our urban， rural， and Hinterlandlandscapes.